Patent GB-876132-A (GB)
Title: Improved coin-freed delivery apparatus
Inventor: DEAN HARRY
IPC: G07F11/24
Filed: 1957-04-27
Abstract: 876,132. Coin-freed vending apparatus. DEAN BROS. (ENGINEERS) Ltd. Jan. 15, 1958 [April 27, 1957], No. 13482/57. Class 27 A coin-freed delivery apparatus of the kind comprising a rotatable coin-receiving device with circumferentially-spaced coin-slots, a rotatable commodity-delivery device with circumferentially-spaced delivery compartments, a drive connection between these devices, a rotatabletype detent-control with circumferentially-spaced detents normally permitting initial movement of the coin receiving device and preventing delivery movement of the delivery device, and a rotatable hand-control to release progressively the detent' control to effect delivery movement, has means which become effective at a required stage in the rotation of the detent control to permit its rotation to the next stage without the use of an inserted coin at that stage, to allow a free delivery to be made. Delivery is effected by the rotation of a member 3 ribbed to form equally spaced compartments 5 and located beneath a single magazine 1. The member 3 is secured to a sleeve, the unidirectional rotation of which is controlled by a ratchet-wheel 7 and pawl 8. Secured at the opposite end of the sleeve 6 is a detent ratchetwheel 9 having teeth 9a at spaced intervals corresponding to those of the ribs 4 of the delivery member 3 but including a blank portion 9b on the periphery spaced to correspond with the location of one of the ribs 4. A detent pawlplate 10 engages the teeth 9a and has a slot in its free edge suitable for single coin action or the arrangement described in Specification 761,927 for operation by more than one coin. A coin-receiving device 16 secured to a spindle 14 and having slots 16a carries a star-wheel 20 which co-operates with a spring-loaded pawl 21 to provide a step-by-step action of the coinreceiver, and has an unslotted portion 16b of its periphery at a location corresponding to the blank portion 9b of the detent pawl-plate 10. Between the coin-receiver 16 and the detent ratchet wheel 9 is a lost-motion drive comprising a radial arm 17 secured to the inner face of the coin-receiver 16 and projecting between spaced abutments 18, 19 on the adjacent face of the detent ratchet-wheel. The initial turning of a knob 15 attached to the spindle 14, as allowed by the lost-motion connection between the detent ratchet-wheel 9 and the coin-receiver 16, causes the latter to bring a coin inserted into a slot 16a into engagement with the pawl-plate 10 to raise it clear of the tooth 9a, whereupon further turning of the knob is permitted after the lost motion is taken up, to allow the detent ratchet-wheel to be rotated until delivery is effected by the member 3. The lost-motion device is re-set by the action of the star-wheel 20 and the coin-receiver 16 moves to a position at which it is able to relinquish the coin. In the example shown, this operation can be repeated four times, requiring four separate coin insertions. Each fourth operation is, however, followed by the presentation of the blank portion 16b of the coin-receiver and the bringing into position of the blank portion 9b of the detent ratchet-wheel 9 below the detent ratchet-plate 10, when the knob 15 may be turned to effect delivery without the prior insertion of a coin. The number of coin-slots and the number of teeth in the detent ratchetwheel, and also the number of free deliveries, may be varied.